title: Evidences for the Involvement of Monoaminergic and GABAergic Systems in Antidepressant-like Activity of Tinospora cordifolia in Mice.
abstract: The present study was taken up to investigate the effect of petroleum ether extract of Tinospora cordifolia (Wild.) Miers, on depression in mice. The extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered for 14 successive days to Swiss young albino mice (either sex) and evaluated for antidepressant-like activity using tail suspension test and forced swim test. Petroleum ether extract at all three doses produced significant antidepressant-like effect in tail suspension test as well as in forced swim test and their efficacies were found to be comparable to imipramine (15 mg/kg, p.o.) and sertraline (20 mg/kg, p.o.). The extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg showed most potent effect and did not show any significant change in locomotor functions of mice as compared to control. The antidepressant-like effect of the extract was significantly reversed by pretreatment of animals with prazosin (a α(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist), sulpiride (a selective dopamine D(2)-receptor antagonist), p-CPA (a serotonin synthesis inhibitor) and baclofen (GABA-B agonist), when tested in tail suspension test. Moreover, petroleum ether extract also reduced the mouse whole brain monoamine oxidase (MAO-A and MAO-B) activities as compared to control, resulting in increase in the levels of brain monoamines. Therefore, the extract may have potential therapeutic value for the management of depressive disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar-125001, India.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dhingra
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Goyal